B-schools welcome SC interim stay on AICTE notification

Updated on: Monday, March 21, 2011

B- schools conducting PG Diploma in Management courses welcomed the Supreme Court's interim stay on AICTE notification that vested more powers on state governments concerning admissions and fees.

"The interim stay, granted yesterday, allows the b-schools to select students subject to the use of CAT, MAT and XAT tests for PGDM course admissions to the 2011-12 batch", H Chaturvedi, alternate president, Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) said here.

He added that the apex court also observed that the b-schools were entitled to charge fees determined by them, subject to sharing the details with the fee fixation committee to be formed by the respective state governments.

AICTE had told the b-schools that it had received nearly 80,000 complaints against institutions on overcharging and a slightly lesser number of complaints on denial of admissions/back door admissions with capitation fees.

EPSI and the Association of Indian Management School (AIMS) had filed a combined petition in the Supreme court against the December 28 notification of the AICTE and were backed by 500 b-schools having PGDM courses, of the 3,800 registered with the Council.

"The interim stay is a respite to the lakhs of students who have given their CAT, MAT and XAT tests for this academic year. We are ready to abide by the Supreme Court's directives and also function under the AICTE, but the Council cannot make rules as per whim", J A Singh, representing the Jaipuria Institute of Management, said.

On the issue of entrance tests for PGDM courses, Chaturvedi said the b-schools were ready if the Central government wanted to hold only one test as eligibility criteria for admissions.

The matter will next be heard in the apex court in four weeks time.

Both Chaturvedi and Singh blamed AICTE for issuing too many licences for opening b-schools in the past decade and said lack of adequate monitoring on the growth and functioning of some of them had led to doubts in minds of people on quality of education they offered and fees charged.

B-schools welcome SC interim stay on AICTE notification

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